Sidestream smoke removal device and control method thereof

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are a sidestream smoke removal device and a control method thereof. The sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes a housing in which a smoking space is formed, an article insertion portion which is disposed at one end of the housing and forms an opening for insertion of a smoking article into the smoking space, an elastic support portion which is configured to support the smoking article inserted through the article insertion portion, an ignition portion which is configured to ignite the smoking article inserted into the smoking space, and a sidestream smoke processing portion which is configured to process sidestream smoke generated from the smoking article inserted into the smoking space. By elastically supporting an upstream end of the smoking article, the elastic support portion may improve support stability and ignition stability for the smoking article.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a sidestream smoke removal device anda control method thereof, and more particularly, to a sidestream smokeremoval device with improved support stability and ignition stabilityfor a smoking article and a control method performed in the device.

BACKGROUND ART

A sidestream smoke removal device is a kind of smoking aid designed forthe purpose of reducing hand smell and removing (purifying) sidestreamsmoke. The sidestream smoke removal device typically has a closedsmoking space and a sidestream smoke remover therein, and users mayinsert a cigarette into the smoking space inside the sidestream smokeremoval device and smoke the cigarette.

However, since cigarettes are usually elongated, an upstream portion ofa cigarette may be easily shaken in the smoking space, which may cause aproblem that a smoking article is not ignited well.

In addition, most of the sidestream smoke removal devices proposed sofar are designed and manufactured to fit a cigarette of a specificlength and thus may not be universally compatible with cigarettes ofvarious lengths. Accordingly, users have a burden of having to purchasemultiple sidestream smoke removal devices.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing asidestream smoke removal device with improved support stability andignition stability for a smoking article and a control method performedin the device.

Objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to theabove-mentioned objective, and other unmentioned objectives should beclearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent disclosure pertains from the description below.

Technical Solution

A sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure includes a housing in which a smoking space isformed, an article insertion portion which is disposed at one end of thehousing and forms an opening for insertion of a smoking article into thesmoking space, an elastic support portion which is disposed toelastically support an upstream end of the smoking article as thesmoking article is inserted through the article insertion portion, anignition portion which is configured to ignite the smoking articleinserted into the smoking space, and a sidestream smoke processingportion which is configured to process sidestream smoke generated fromthe smoking article inserted into the smoking space.

In some embodiments, the elastic support portion may be disposed to be,from a stretched state, contracted in a direction of insertion of thesmoking article as it supports the upstream end thereof.

In some embodiments, the ignition portion may be coupled to the elasticsupport portion and disposed to come in close contact with the upstreamend of the smoking article as the smoking article is inserted.

In some embodiments, the sidestream smoke removal device may furtherinclude a support portion which is disposed to support a side surface ofthe inserted smoking article in the smoking space.

In some embodiments, the sidestream smoke processing portion may includea filter structure configured to filter the sidestream smoke and anexhaust fan configured to exhaust the filtered sidestream smoke.

In some embodiments, a vent through which outside air enters may beformed in the housing.

In some embodiments, the sidestream smoke removal device may furtherinclude a temperature sensor which is disposed to measure a temperaturenear a downstream end of a smoking material portion constituting theinserted smoking article and a controller which is configured to detectan end of smoking on the basis of the temperature measured by thetemperature sensor.

In some embodiments, a vent through which outside air enters may beformed in the housing, the sidestream smoke processing portion mayinclude an exhaust fan configured to exhaust the sidestream smoke, andthe sidestream smoke removal device may further include a controllerconfigured to, in response to detecting an end of smoking, close thevent and stop operation of the exhaust fan.

Advantageous Effects

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an elasticsupport portion capable of elastically supporting a smoking articleinserted into a smoking space can be disposed. Accordingly, supportstability for the smoking article can be improved. Also, since shakingof the smoking article is prevented at the time of ignition, ignitionstability can also be improved.

Also, since the elastic support portion is configured as an elastic bodycapable of stretching and contracting in the longitudinal direction,smoking articles of various lengths can be accommodated. Accordingly,since a user does not have to purchase multiple sidestream smoke removaldevices, the user's purchasing costs can be reduced.

In addition, an ignition portion is coupled to the elastic supportportion and may have a protruding shape. Accordingly, as a smokingarticle is inserted, the ignition portion can come in close contact withan upstream end of the smoking article such that the ignition portionpenetrates the upstream end of the smoking article. As a result,ignition stability and ignition performance can be significantlyimproved.

In addition, since a support portion configured to support a sidesurface of the smoking article is disposed in the smoking space, thesupport stability for the smoking article can be further improved.

In addition, a vent and an exhaust fan can be appropriately controlledaccording to smoking progress, and thus a user's smoking satisfactioncan be improved.

In addition, an automatic extinguishing function can be performed upondetecting an end of smoking. Accordingly, the risk of fire and burns dueto the user's carelessness can be minimized.

The advantageous effects according to the technical spirit of thepresent disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned advantageouseffects, and other unmentioned advantageous effects should be clearlyunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the descriptionbelow.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 to 3 are exemplary views illustrating a sidestream smoke removaldevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure andvarious modifications thereof.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are exemplary views illustrating a sidestream smokeremoval device with improved support stability and ignition stabilityaccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view illustrating a sidestream smoke removaldevice with improved support stability and ignition stability accordingto a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary view illustrating a sidestream smoke removaldevice with improved support stability and ignition stability accordingto a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart showing a control method of asidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart showing a control method of asidestream smoke removal device according to some other embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary view illustrating a method of determining thecurrent smoking position according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods ofachieving the same should become clear with embodiments described indetail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, thetechnical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to thefollowing embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms.The embodiments make the technical spirit of the present disclosurecomplete and are provided to completely inform those of ordinary skillin the art to which the present disclosure pertains of the scope of thepresent disclosure. The technical spirit of the present disclosure isdefined only by the scope of the claims.

In assigning reference numerals to components of each drawing, it shouldbe noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the samecomponents as much as possible even when the components are illustratedin different drawings. Also, in describing the present disclosure, whendetailed description of a known related configuration or function isdeemed as having the possibility of obscuring the gist of the presentdisclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical or scientificterms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be construed inan idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.Terms used herein are for describing the embodiments and are notintended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, asingular expression includes a plural expression unless the contextclearly indicates otherwise.

Also, in describing components of the present disclosure, terms such asfirst, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are only usedfor distinguishing one component from another component, and theessence, order, sequence, or the like of the corresponding component isnot limited by the terms. In a case in which a certain component isdescribed as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” to anothercomponent, it should be understood that, although the component may bedirectly connected or linked to the other component, still anothercomponent may also be “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” between thetwo components.

The terms “comprises” and/or “comprising” used herein do not precludethe presence or addition of one or more components, steps, operations,and/or devices other than those mentioned.

First, some terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosurewill be clarified.

In the following embodiments, “smoking article” may refer to any productthat can be smoked or any product that can provide a smoking experience,regardless of whether the product is based on tobacco, tobaccoderivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobaccosubstitutes. For example, smoking articles may include products that canbe smoked, such as a cigarette, a cigar, and a cigarillo.

In the following embodiments, “smoking material” may refer to a materialthat generates smoke and/or an aerosol or is used in smoking. Forexample, the smoking material may include a tobacco material. Forexample, the tobacco material may include pieces of tobacco leaves,tobacco stems, and materials obtained by processing the same. As a morespecific example, the tobacco material may include ground tobaccoleaves, ground reconstituted tobacco, expanded shredded tobacco,expanded tobacco midribs, reconstituted tobacco leaves, and the like,but is not limited thereto.

In the following embodiments, “upstream” or “upstream direction” mayrefer to a direction moving away from an oral region of a user, and“downstream” or “downstream direction” may refer to a directionapproaching the oral region of the user. The terms “upstream” and“downstream” may be used to describe relative positions of componentsconstituting a smoking article. For example, in a smoking article 30illustrated in FIG. 1 and so on, a filter portion is disposed downstreamor in a downstream direction of a smoking material portion, and thesmoking material portion is disposed upstream or in an upstreamdirection of the filter portion.

In the following embodiments, “longitudinal direction” may refer to adirection corresponding to a longitudinal axis of a smoking article.

In the following embodiments, “puff” refers to inhalation by a user, andthe inhalation may refer to a situation in which a user draws smoke intohis or her oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs through the mouth ornose.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view illustrating the structure of a sidestreamsmoke removal device 1 according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In particular, the drawings such as FIG. 1 illustrate astate in which the smoking article 30 is inserted into the sidestreamsmoke removal device 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the sidestream smoke removal device 1 mayinclude a housing 11, an article insertion portion 12, a back cover 13,an insulating portion 14, a temperature sensor 20, an ignition portion15, a sidestream smoke processing portion 16, a mesh 17, a display 19,and a controller 18. However, only the components relating to theembodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 1 .Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains should understand that the sidestream smoke removaldevice 1 may further include general-purpose components other than thecomponents illustrated in FIG. 1 . For example, the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 may further include a battery (not illustrated)configured to supply power to electrical components (e.g., thecontroller 18, the display 19, etc.). Also, some of the componentsillustrated in FIG. 1 may not be essential components of the sidestreamsmoke removal device 1. That is, the sidestream smoke removal device 1may also be implemented in a form in which some of the componentsillustrated in FIG. 1 are omitted. For example, the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 may be implemented in a form in which components suchas the temperature sensor 20 and the display 19 are omitted.Hereinafter, each component of the sidestream smoke removal device 1will be described.

The housing 11 may form a smoking space inside the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 and may form at least a portion of an exterior of thesidestream smoke removal device 1. FIG. 1 illustrates that the housing11 corresponds to a sidewall of the sidestream smoke removal device 1,but the housing 11 may also refer to the entire exterior-formingstructure including the article insertion portion 12, the back cover 13,and the insulating portion 14. In order to ensure the durability of thesidestream smoke removal device 1 and minimize the risk of damagethereto, the housing 11 may be made of a sturdy material.

In some embodiments, a vent 111 may be formed in the housing 11 to allowoutside air to smoothly enter the smoking space. By allowing the outsideair to enter during smoking, the vent 111 may promote combustion of thesmoking article 30, and accordingly, a smoking function of thesidestream smoke removal device 1 may be significantly improved. FIG. 1illustrates an example in which a single vent 111 is formed in thehousing 11, but the number of vents 111 may also be plural. In addition,positions at which vents 111 are formed, sizes of the vents, intervalsbetween the vents, etc. may also be designed in various ways. Theopening/closing of the vent 111 and/or a degree of opening/closingthereof may be controlled by the controller 18. This will be describedbelow with reference to FIG. 8 .

Next, the article insertion portion 12 may be disposed at one end (e.g.,an upper end) of the housing 11 and form an opening for insertion of thesmoking article 30. A user may insert the smoking article 30 into thesmoking space inside the sidestream smoke removal device 1 through thearticle insertion portion 12. In order to block the heat inside thesmoking space from being released to the outside, the article insertionportion 12 may be made of an insulating material. Also, in order toprevent shaking of the inserted smoking article 30, the articleinsertion portion 12 may have a holder structure that can hold thesmoking article 30.

In some embodiments, the article insertion portion 12 may have astructure in which it is possible to adjust the size of the opening. Forexample, the article insertion portion 12 may have a structure thatallows the opening to be tightened or loosely expanded through manualoperation. As another example, the article insertion portion 12 may alsobe configured to automatically tighten the opening to fit the smokingarticle 30. As a more specific example, the article insertion portion 12may be controlled by the controller 18, and the controller 18 maycontrol the opening of the article insertion portion 12 to be tightenedupon a sensor detecting insertion of the smoking article 30 or uponreception of a user input (e.g., a push on a button).

According to the present embodiment, since the size of the opening isadjusted to fit the smoking article 30, shaking of the smoking article30 may be prevented, and support stability for the smoking article 30may be improved. Further, since smoking articles of various sizes may beused, usability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may also beimproved.

The smoking article 30 may include a filter portion which is disposed ata downstream portion and a smoking material portion which abuts anupstream end of the filter portion. However, a detailed structure of thesmoking article 30 may be modified in various ways. The filter portionmay include a filter material that can filter smoke, and the smokingmaterial portion may include a smoking material. Examples of the smokingarticle 30 may include a combustion-type cigarette, but the smokingarticle 30 is not limited thereto and may be any article which generatessidestream smoke during smoking.

Next, the back cover 13 may be disposed at the other end (e.g., a lowerend) of the housing 11 and serve as a cover of the sidestream smokeremoval device 1. A gas discharge path may be formed in the back cover13 to allow sidestream smoke processed (purified) through the sidestreamsmoke processing portion 16 to be discharged to the outside. Forexample, a gas discharge path such a fine hole may be formed in the backcover 13.

Next, the insulating portion 14 may be made of a material having lowthermal conductivity and block the heat inside the smoking space frombeing released to the outside. By being disposed on an outer surface ofthe housing 11, the insulating portion 14 may serve to prevent the riskof burns due to internal heat when the user's body comes in contact withthe sidestream smoke removal device 1 (e.g., when the user grips thedevice 1 for smoking).

Next, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposed inside the smoking spaceand measure the temperature of the smoking article 30 inserted into thesmoking space. The number of temperature sensors 20, the shape oftemperature sensors 20, positions at which temperature sensors 20 aredisposed, intervals at which temperature sensors 20 are disposed, etc.may be designed in various ways and may vary according to theembodiment.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the temperature sensor20 may be disposed to measure the temperature near a downstream end ofthe smoking material portion. In this case, whether smoking has endedmay be accurately determined using only the temperature sensor 20without an additional monitoring module. This determination is based onthe fact that smoking usually ends when the smoking material portion iscompletely consumed. For example, the controller 18 may determine thatsmoking has ended when the temperature measured by the temperaturesensor 20 is a reference value or more (e.g., when the current smokingposition reaches the downstream end of the smoking material portion) orwhen the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 increases andthen decreases to less than the reference value (e.g., when combustionpower weakens at the downstream end of the smoking material portion).

In some other embodiments, a plurality of temperature sensors 20 may bedisposed at different positions inside the smoking space. For example,as illustrated in FIG. 2 , a plurality of temperature sensors 20-1 and20-2 may be disposed in the longitudinal direction of the smokingarticle 30. Alternatively, the plurality of temperature sensors 20 maybe disposed at positions facing each other. FIG. 2 illustrates anexample in which the two temperature sensors 20-1 and 20-2 are disposed,but the number of temperature sensors 20 may also be three or more.Here, the intervals at which the temperature sensors 20 are disposed maybe the same or different. When the plurality of temperature sensors 20are used, smoking progress (e.g., the extent to which the smokingarticle 30 is consumed) may be more accurately monitored, and variouspieces of monitoring information may be obtained as described below.

In some examples, the start of smoking may be detected (determined)through the temperature sensor (e.g., 20-2) disposed near the upstreamend of the smoking material portion. For example, the controller 18 maydetermine that smoking has started when the temperature measured by thetemperature sensor (e.g., 20-2) is a reference value or more.

In some examples, temperatures measured by the plurality of temperaturesensors (e.g., 20-1 and 20-2) disposed in the longitudinal direction maybe compared to determine the extent to which the smoking article 30 isconsumed (e.g., the current smoking (combustion) position). This examplewill be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

In some examples, the plurality of temperature sensors 20 may bedisposed at positions facing each other with respect to the insertedsmoking article 30 or may be disposed in the circumferential directionof the smoking article 30 inside the smoking space (for example, fourtemperature sensors 20 may be disposed at 90° intervals). In this case,temperatures measured by the plurality of temperature sensors 20 may becompared to determine the extent to which the smoking article 30 istilted (shaken). For example, when a temperature measured by a specifictemperature sensor is higher than a temperature measured by anothertemperature sensor, the controller 18 may determine that the insertedsmoking article 30 is tilted in a direction toward the specifictemperature sensor. Alternatively, when temperatures measured by theplurality of temperature sensors 20 fluctuate by a reference value ormore, the controller 18 may determine that the inserted smoking article30 is shaking.

In still some other embodiments, a temperature sensor 20 having anelongated body may be disposed in the smoking space. For example, theelongated temperature sensor 20 may be disposed in the longitudinaldirection of the smoking article 30. The temperature sensor 20 accordingto the present embodiment may be implemented so that a first portion ofthe elongated body measures the temperature of a first correspondingportion of the smoking material portion constituting the smoking article30, and a second portion measures the temperature of a secondcorresponding portion of the smoking material portion. A specificimplementation method may vary. In this case, smoking progress may bemonitored on the basis of a temperature measured by a specific portionof the elongated body. For example, the controller 18 may comparetemperatures measured by different portions of the elongated body anddetermine the extent to which the smoking article 30 is consumed.

In yet some other embodiments, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposedon the basis of combinations of the above-described embodiments.

Next, the ignition portion 15 may be disposed inside the smoking spaceand ignite the smoking article 30 inserted into the smoking space. Theignition portion 15 may be controlled by the controller 18 or mayperform an ignition function due to manual operation by a user. Thenumber of ignition portions 15, the shape of ignition portions 15, thearrangement form thereof, etc. may be designed in various ways and mayvary according to the embodiment.

In some embodiments, the ignition portion 15 may be disposed at a fixedposition. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and so on, the ignitionportion 15 may be disposed to ignite the vicinity of the upstream end ofthe inserted smoking article 30. In this case, the structure of thesidestream smoke removal device 1 may be simplified, and thus a defectrate during manufacture may be minimized.

In some other embodiments, the ignition portion 15 may be designed andimplemented to be movable. A specific implementation method may vary.For example, the ignition portion 15 may be implemented to move in thelongitudinal direction by user's manual operation or control by thecontroller 18. In some examples, the controller 18 may, in response todetecting the insertion of the smoking article 30, move the ignitionportion 15 to the upstream end of the smoking article 30. As a result,according to the present embodiment, the sidestream smoke removal device1 is compatible with smoking articles of various lengths, and thus theusability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may be significantlyimproved.

Next, the sidestream smoke processing portion 16 may be disposed insidethe smoking space and perform various processes on sidestream smokegenerated from the inserted smoking article 30. For example, thesidestream smoke processing portion 16 may be disposed between theinserted smoking article 30 and the back cover 13 purify the sidestreamsmoke. Also, the sidestream smoke processing portion 16 may furtherperform an exhaust function that allows the purified sidestream smoke tobe easily discharged to the outside. However, a detailed structure andan operation method of the sidestream smoke processing portion 16 may bedesigned in various ways and may vary according to the embodiment.

In some embodiments, as illustrated, the sidestream smoke processingportion 16 may include a filter structure 161 and an exhaust fan 162.The filter structure 161 may purify the sidestream smoke, and theexhaust fan 162 may exhaust the sidestream smoke. For example, theexhaust fan 162 may suction the sidestream smoke toward the filterstructure 161 through rotation and allow the sidestream smoke that haspassed through the filter structure 161 to be smoothly discharged to theoutside. The operation of the exhaust fan 162 may be controlled by thecontroller 18. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 andso on.

Next, the mesh 17 may be disposed between the sidestream smokeprocessing portion 16 and the back cover 13 and serve as a safety net.For example, the mesh 17 may prevent a specific object (e.g., somepieces of the filter portion 161, etc.) inside the smoking space frommoving to the back cover 13.

Next, the display 19 may be disposed on an outer surface of the housing11 to display various pieces of information according to control by thecontroller 18. For example, the display 19 may display smoking progressinformation, device information, smoking history information, userinformation, and the like. Here, examples of the smoking progressinformation may include information on smoking progress (e.g., anyinformation related to smoking progress such as the extent to which thesmoking article 30 is consumed, the current smoking position, the numberof remaining puffs, smoking time, remaining smoking time, etc.) and puffinformation (e.g., any information related to puff events such as a puffnumber, a puff length, a puff interval, a puff intensity, whether puffsare performed, etc.), but the smoking progress information is notlimited thereto. Examples of the device information may includeinformation such as a power state, whether a failure has occurred, and abattery state (e.g., a battery level, whether charging is needed, etc.),but the device information is not limited thereto. The smoking historyinformation may include the cumulative number of cigarettes smoked butis not limited thereto.

The display 19 may include a visual display means such as a lightemitting diode (LED) display to visually display the various pieces ofinformation. However, a specific display means may vary.

Next, the controller 18 may control the overall operation of thesidestream smoke removal device 1. For example, the controller 18 maycontrol the operation of the exhaust fan 162, the display 19, and othercomponents included in the sidestream smoke removal device 1. Inaddition, the controller 18 may determine smoking progress of thesmoking article 30 and may check a state of each of the components ofthe sidestream smoke removal device 1 to determine whether thesidestream smoke removal device 1 is in an operable state. A specificoperation method of the controller 18 will be described in detail belowwith reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 .

The controller 18 may be implemented with at least one processor. Theprocessor may also be implemented with an array of a plurality of logicgates or implemented with a combination of a general-purposemicroprocessor and a memory which stores a program that may be executedby the microprocessor. Also, those of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present disclosure pertains should clearly understand that thecontroller 18 may also be implemented with other forms of hardware.

FIG. 1 illustrates the controller 18 as being disposed outside thehousing 11 of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. However, this isonly for convenience of understanding, and the position at which thecontroller 18 is disposed may vary. For example, in order to prevent afailure due to external impact, the controller 18 may be disposed at aspecific position inside the housing 11.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sidestreamsmoke removal device 1 may further include a module configured toprovide aural and/or tactual outputs. For example, the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 may further include a speaker, a vibration module, etc.In this case, the controller 18 may further use these modules to providevarious pieces of information to the user.

Also, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated inFIG. 3 , a cutting portion 23 may be further disposed in the smokingspace. The cutting portion 23 may cut the smoking article 30 which isundergoing combustion to prevent further combustion. Thereby, thecutting portion 23 may extinguish the smoking article 30 at a point intime desired by the user such that the risk of burns that may occur dueto carelessness of the user (e.g., the risk of burns due to carelessnesswhen directly extinguishing the smoking article 30) and the risk of fireare minimized. However, an implementation method of the cutting portion23 may be designed in various other ways.

In some examples, the cutting portion 23 may be fixed at a position tocut a specific portion of the inserted smoking article 30. For example,the cutting portion 23 may be disposed at a position to cut between thefilter portion and the smoking material portion. In this case, a safeextinguishing function may be ensured regardless of the current smoking(combustion) position of the smoking article 30, and the structure ofthe sidestream smoke removal device 1 may be simplified.

In some other examples, the cutting portion 23 may be configured to bemovable. For example, the cutting portion 23 may be configured to bemoved due to an external force (manual operation) by the user orconfigured to be moved due to control by the controller 18. As a morespecific example, by the controller 18, the cutting portion 23 may beautomatically moved to the vicinity of the current smoking (combustion)position of the smoking article 30. Refer to the description of FIG. 10for a method in which the controller 18 determines the current smoking(combustion) position of the smoking article 30.

Also, in some examples, the cutting portion 23 may be operated due tothe user pressing a push-type button (not illustrated) provided on anouter surface of the housing 11, twisting the housing 11, or stretchingor contracting the housing 11 in the longitudinal direction. The cuttingportion 23 may have a structure that mechanically interlocks with thehousing 11 to operate due to the above-listed user actions. Also, theabove-listed user actions may cause the controller 18 to operate thecutting portion 23.

The structure of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 according to someembodiments of the present disclosure and various modifications thereofhave been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 . According tothe above description, smoking progress information may be providedthrough the plurality of temperature sensors 20 and the display 19, anda safe extinguishing function may be provided through the cuttingportion 23. Accordingly, ease of use and safety of the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 may be improved.

However, in the case of the sidestream smoke removal device 1illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 , since only the downstream portion of thesmoking article 30 is supported by the article insertion portion 12, thesmoking article 30 may shake during smoking. If the smoking article 30shakes during ignition, ignition stability may be decreased.Hereinafter, a sidestream smoke removal device 1 designed to addressthese problems will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and so on. Forclarity of the present disclosure, description of contents overlappingwith those related to FIGS. 1 to 3 will be omitted, and description willbe continued focusing on differences therefrom.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are exemplary views illustrating a sidestream smokeremoval device 1 with improved support stability and ignition stabilityaccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the sidestream smoke removal device 1according to the first embodiment may include an elastic support portion21 disposed to elastically support the upstream end of the insertedsmoking article 30. The elastic support portion 21 may include anelastic body that is able to stretch and contract, such as a spring, andmay be disposed to be contracted in a direction of insertion of thesmoking article 30 as the smoking article 30 is inserted. For example,the elastic support portion 21 may be disposed in the longitudinaldirection inside the smoking space and may be contracted due to aninsertion force of the smoking article 30, thus supporting the smokingarticle 30. Accordingly, support stability and ignition stability forthe smoking article 30 may be improved.

Whether the ignition portion 15 and the elastic support portion 21 arecoupled and/or the arrangement form thereof may be designed in variousways.

In some examples, as illustrated, the ignition portion 15 may be coupledto the elastic support portion 21 and may be disposed to come in closecontact with the upstream end of the smoking article 30 as the smokingarticle 30 is inserted. In this case, since the ignition portion 15performs an ignition function while supporting the upstream end of thesmoking article 30 together with the elastic support portion 21,ignition stability may be further improved. Further, since ignitionoccurs in a state in which the ignition portion 15 is in close contactwith the upstream end of the smoking article 30, ignition performancemay also be improved.

In the above-described example, a portion of the ignition portion 15that comes in close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article30 may be formed in a sharp protruding shape (e.g., the shape of aneedle). In this case, since the ignition portion 15 passes through theupstream end of the smoking article 30 as the smoking article 30 isinserted, the smoking article 30 may be supported more strongly at thetime of ignition. Also, the support stability and ignition stability ofthe sidestream smoke removal device 1 may be further improved.

In some other examples, the ignition portion 15 may be disposed at aposition different from a position of the elastic support portion 21 andmay be implemented to be movable. In this case, the smoking article 30may be supported through the elastic support portion 21, and theignition portion 15 may be manually or automatically moved to thevicinity of the upstream end of the smoking article 30 to perform anignition function.

Meanwhile, although not illustrated in FIG. 4 , the sidestream smokeremoval device 1 may adopt a structure configured to, after the elasticsupport portion 21 is contracted due to insertion of the smoking article30, prevent the elastic support portion 21 from re-stretching due to anelastic force, and such a structure may be implemented in various ways.

According to the above description, support stability and ignitionstability for the smoking article 30 may be improved through the elasticsupport portion 21. Also, since the elastic support portion 21 isdisposed to be stretchable and contractible in the longitudinaldirection, smoking articles 30 of various lengths may be stablyaccommodated in the smoking space. For example, as illustrated in FIGS.4 and 5 , both a smoking article 30 of a first length L1 and a smokingarticle 30 of a second length L2 (L1>L2) may be stably accommodated inthe smoking space through the elastic support portion 21. Accordingly,since there is no need to manufacture multiple sidestream smoke removaldevices for smoking articles 30 of different lengths, manufacturingcosts may be reduced, and the users' device purchasing costs may also bereduced.

Hereinafter, a sidestream smoke removal device 1 with improved supportstability and ignition stability according to a second embodiment of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view for describing the sidestream smoke removaldevice 1 with improved support stability and ignition stabilityaccording to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , in the present embodiment, the elasticsupport portion 21 may be disposed to be perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction (direction of insertion) of the smoking article30. That is, when the smoking article 30 is inserted in the longitudinaldirection of the sidestream smoke removal device 1, the elastic supportportion 21 may be disposed in a horizontal direction. Also, the ignitionportion 15 may be coupled to the elastic support portion 21 and may comein close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article 30 as thesmoking article 30 is inserted. Since the elastic support portion 21still supports the smoking article 30, support stability and ignitionstability may be improved.

As in the previous embodiment, a portion of the ignition portion 15 thatcomes in close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article 30may be formed in a protruding shape, and in this case, support stabilityand ignition stability may be further improved.

Hereinafter, a sidestream smoke removal device 1 with improved supportstability and ignition stability according to a third embodiment of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 7 .

FIG. 7 is an exemplary view for describing the sidestream smoke removaldevice 1 with improved support stability and ignition stabilityaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , in the present embodiment, a support portion22 configured to support a side surface of the smoking article 30 may befurther disposed inside the smoking space of the sidestream smokeremoval device 1. For example, as illustrated, a plurality of supportportions 22 may be disposed to support a side surface at a first pointand at a second point of the smoking article 30. In order to support aspecific point of the smoking article 30, a plurality of supportportions 22 may be disposed in the circumferential direction of thesmoking article 30 (for example, four support portions 22 may bedisposed at 90° intervals), or a single support portion 22 formed in aring shape may be disposed. In this way, the number of support portions22, the arrangement form thereof, the shape thereof, etc. may bedesigned and implemented in various ways.

When the support portion 22 supports a side surface of the smokingarticle 30, support stability for the smoking article 30 may becontinuously ensured even during smoking. Specifically, the elasticsupport portion 21 may support the smoking article 30 in an early stageof smoking, but a support ability thereof may weaken as smokingprogresses. This is because the length of the smoking article 30gradually shortens due to smoking. In this case, if the support portion22 is disposed at an appropriate position, the smoking article 30 may bestably supported until the end of smoking. In addition, supportstability at an early stage of smoking may also be further improved.

Meanwhile, FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the elastic supportportion 21 is disposed in the longitudinal direction, but in some cases,the elastic support portion 21 may be omitted or may be disposed to beperpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

The sidestream smoke removal device 1 with improved support stabilityand ignition stability according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure has been described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 .According to the above description, since the elastic support portion 21elastically supports the smoking article 30 inserted into the smokingspace, support stability for the smoking article 30 may be improved.Also, since shaking of the smoking article 30 is prevented duringignition, ignition stability may also be improved. Also, since thesupport portion 22 configured to support a side surface of the smokingarticle 30 is further disposed inside the smoking space, supportstability for the smoking article 30 may be further improved.

Hereinafter, a control method according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 8 and so on.

Each step of the control method which will be described below may beperformed by the controller (e.g., 18) of the sidestream smoke removaldevice (e.g., 1). Also, each step of the control method may beimplemented with one or more instructions executed by the controller.The control method is applicable to various types of sidestream smokeremoval devices, but for convenience of understanding, description willbe continued assuming that the control method is performed by thesidestream smoke removal device 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7 .Therefore, in the following description, when the subject of a specificoperation is omitted, the specific operation may be understood as beingperformed by the controller 18 of the illustrated device 1.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart showing a control method according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this is only apreferred embodiment for achieving the objectives of the presentdisclosure, and, of course, some steps may be added or omitted asnecessary.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the control method may begin by detecting thestart of smoking (S10). In this step, a method of detecting the start ofsmoking may vary.

In some embodiments, the controller 18 may detect the start of smokingthrough a user input (e.g., an input on a button, etc.) operating theignition portion 15. Alternatively, the controller 18 may recognize thestart of smoking through a user input (e.g., an input on a button, etc.)requesting to start smoking and may operate the ignition portion 15.

In some other embodiments, the controller 18 may detect the start ofsmoking in response to determining that a temperature measured by thetemperature sensor 20 is higher than or equal to a reference value.Here, for example, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposed to measurethe temperature near the upstream end of the smoking article 30 insidethe smoking space.

In step S20, in response to detecting the start of smoking, thecontroller 18 may open (e.g., partially or completely) the vent 111 suchthat outside air that enters through the vent 111 promotes combustion ofthe smoking article 30. Also, the controller 18 may operate the exhaustfan 162. This is because, as the exhaust fan 162 operates, sidestreamsmoke generated during smoking may be smoothly exhausted.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thecontroller 18 may control the vent 111 and the exhaust fan 162 on thebasis of puff events of the user during smoking. However, a specificcontrol method thereof may vary.

In some examples, the controller 18 may adjust a degree ofopening/closing of the vent 111 on the basis of puff events.Specifically, the controller 18 may widen the vent 111 when puffs areperformed and narrow the vent 111 when puffs are not performed. In thisway, outside air may more smoothly enter while puffs are performed, andthus combustion of the smoking article 30 may be further promoted. Also,a problem that unpurified sidestream smoke leaks through the vent 111while puffs are not performed may be alleviated. For reference, whilepuffs are performed, since sidestream smoke is not generated much and anincoming air flow is formed through the vent 111, sidestream smoke maynot leak even when the vent 111 is opened.

In some other examples, the controller 18 may operate (rotate) theexhaust fan 162 in a reverse direction while puffs are performed and mayoperate (rotate) the exhaust fan 162 in a forward direction while puffsare not performed. Here, the forward direction may refer to a rotationaldirection that causes sidestream smoke to be suctioned toward the filterstructure 161, and the reverse direction may refer to the oppositerotational direction. In this case, while puffs are performed, an airflow may be concentrated toward the upstream end of the smoking article30 such that combustion may be promoted. On the other hand, while puffsare not performed, sidestream smoke may be suctioned toward the filterstructure 161 and smoothly exhausted.

In still some other examples, the controller 18 may adjust the degree ofopening/closing of the vent 111 and/or the rotational speed of theexhaust fan 162 on the basis of information on puff events (e.g., a puffintensity, a puff interval, a puff length, etc.). For example, in a casein which the puff intensity increases, the puff length increases, or thepuff interval decreases, the controller 18 may widen the vent 111. Inthe opposite case, the controller 18 may narrow the vent 111. This isbecause the puff intensity is likely to increase when combustion of thesmoking article 30 is not smoothly performed. Alternatively, in the casein which the puff intensity increases, the puff length increases, or thepuff interval decreases, the controller 18 may increase the rotationalspeed of the exhaust fan 162 during puffs (that is, increase therotational speed thereof in the reverse direction). In the oppositecase, the controller 18 may decrease the rotational speed of the exhaustfan 162.

In yet some other examples, the controller 18 may perform control on thebasis of combinations of the above-described examples.

In the above embodiments, a method in which the controller 18 detects apuff may vary. For example, the controller 18 may detect a puff on thebasis of a change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20.Specifically, when a degree of temperature change is a reference valueor more (e.g., when combustion temperature of the smoking article 30instantaneously increases), the controller 18 may recognize that a puffis generated. This recognition is based on a fact that combustion isaccelerated at the upstream end of the smoking article 30 while puffsare generated. Also, the controller 18 may determine a puff intensity onthe basis of a degree of temperature change. For example, the controller18 may determine the higher puff intensity based on the degree oftemperature change being higher and determine the lower puff intensitybased on the degree of temperature change being lower.

In step S30, the controller 18 may detect the end of smoking. In thisstep, the controller 18 may detect the end of smoking using variousmethods, and the method may vary according to the embodiment.

In some embodiments, the controller 18 may detect the end of smoking onthe basis of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20. Here,for example, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposed near thedownstream end of the smoking material portion of the smoking article30. For example, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor20 is a reference value or more or when the measured temperatureincreases and then decreases, the controller 18 may determine thatsmoking has ended.

In some other embodiments, the controller 18 may detect the end ofsmoking on the basis of puff events, the time elapsed after the start ofsmoking, and the like. For example, when a predetermined amount of timehas elapsed after the start of smoking, when a puff number is areference value or more, or when a puff has not been detected for apredetermined amount of time or more after a previous puff, thecontroller 18 may determine that smoking has ended.

In still some other embodiments, smoking termination conditions may bepre-set. For example, smoking termination conditions may be pre-set onthe basis of a puff number, the time elapsed after the start of smoking,and the like. In this case, in response to predetermined smokingtermination conditions being satisfied, the controller 18 may determineto end smoking.

In step S40, in response to detecting the end of smoking, the controller18 may perform an automatic extinguishing function. In this step, amethod in which the controller 18 performs the automatic extinguishingfunction may vary.

In some embodiments, the controller 18 may close the vent 111 and stopoperation of the exhaust fan 162. In this case, since outside air stopsentering due to closing of the vent 111, the smoking article 30 may benaturally extinguished due to lack of oxygen.

In some other embodiments, the controller 18 may close the vent 111 andoperate the exhaust fan 162 for a predetermined amount of time and thenstop the operation or continuously operate the exhaust fan 162. In thiscase, since outside air stops entering due to closing of the vent 111,and inside air is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust fan 162,the smoking article 30 may be naturally extinguished.

In still some other embodiments, the controller 18 may perform theautomatic extinguishing function by operating the cutting portion 23.

In yet some other embodiments, the controller 18 may perform theautomatic extinguishing function on the basis of combinations of theabove-described embodiments. For example, the controller 18 may performthe automatic extinguishing function through a first extinguishingprocess by closing the vent 111 and stopping the exhaust fan 162 andthrough a second extinguishing process of cutting the inserted smokingarticle 30 with the cutting portion 23. Here, the first extinguishingprocess and the second extinguishing process may be performed in anyorder.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, inresponse to detecting the end of smoking, the controller 18 may operatethe exhaust fan 162 in the forward direction (that is, the suctioningdirection) for a predetermined amount of time. In this case, sincesmoking by-products such as cigarette ash gather near the filterstructure 161 due to the exhaust fan 162, the inside of the sidestreamsmoke removal device 1 may be cleaned more easily. In some examples, thecontroller 18 may also adjust the rotational speed of the exhaust fan162 on the basis of the extent to which the smoking article 30 isconsumed. For example, when the smoking article 30 is completelycombusted, since the amount of by-products is large, the controller 18may rotate the exhaust fan 162 at a higher speed. In the opposite case,the controller 18 may rotate the exhaust fan 162 at a lower speed. Theextent to which the smoking article 30 is consumed may be determined onthe basis of a puff number, the time elapsed after the start of smoking,the current smoking position (see FIG. 10 ), and the like.

The control method according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure has been described above with reference to FIG. 8 . Accordingto the above-described method, since the vent 111 and the exhaust fan162 may be appropriately controlled according to smoking progress, auser's satisfaction with the device may be improved. Also, since theautomatic extinguishing function is performed upon the end of smoking,the risk of fire and burns due to the user's carelessness may beminimized.

Hereinafter, a control method according to some other embodiments of thepresent disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . However,for clarity of the present disclosure, description of contentsoverlapping with those related to the control method illustrated in FIG.8 will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart showing the control method according tosome other embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this is onlya preferred embodiment for achieving the objectives of the presentdisclosure, and, of course, some steps may be added or omitted asnecessary.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , the control method may begin by detecting thestart of smoking (S110). In this step, the controller 18 may display anindicator indicating the start of smoking on the display 19. Foradditional description of this step, refer to step S10 described abovewith reference to FIG. 8 .

In step S120, the controller 18 may monitor smoking progress. Here,smoking progress may include any situation related to smoking such asthe extent to which the smoking article 30 is consumed, puff events, andthe like.

In some embodiments, the controller 18 may compare temperatures measuredby a plurality of temperature sensors 20 disposed at different positionsto accurately determine the extent to which the smoking article 30 isconsumed (or the current smoking (combustion) position thereof).Specifically, let's assume that, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , a pluralityof temperature sensors 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 are disposed in thelongitudinal direction in the smoking space inside the sidestream smokeremoval device 1. Then, the controller 18 may compare temperaturesmeasured by a first temperature sensor 20-1, a second temperature sensor20-2, and a third temperature sensor 20-3 to determine the currentsmoking position of the smoking article 30 and the extent to which thesmoking article 30 is smoked. For example, in a case in which thetemperature measured by the first temperature sensor 20-1 is the lowest,the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 20-2 is lowerthan the temperature measured by the third temperature sensor 20-3, andthe temperature measured by the third temperature sensor 20-3 is thehighest, the controller 18 may determine that the current smokingposition of the smoking article 30 is between the second temperaturesensor 20-2 and the third temperature sensor 20-3 and closer to thethird temperature sensor 20-3. Here, the controller 18 may determinethat the larger the temperature difference between the secondtemperature sensor 20-2 and the third temperature sensor 20-3, thecloser the current smoking position of the smoking article 30 is to thethird temperature sensor 20-3.

In step S130, the controller 18 may display monitoring informationthrough the display 19. However, types of monitoring information and aspecific display method therefor may vary.

In some embodiments, the controller 18 may display, through the display19, information related to the extent to which the smoking article 30 isconsumed. For example, the controller 18 may display an indicator (e.g.,a cigarette-shaped object) indicating the smoking article 30 (or theextent to which the smoking article 30 is consumed) and may control thedisplay 19 to reduce the length of the indicator as smoking progresses.As another example, the controller 18 may display, through the display19, a display area (e.g., LED lighting areas/sections) indicating theextent to which the smoking article 30 is consumed and may control thedisplay 19 to change the size of the display area (e.g., the number ofLED lighting areas/sections) as smoking progresses. Here, the size ofthe display area may increase or decrease as smoking progresses.

In some other embodiments, the controller 18 may display informationrelated to puff events through the display 19. For example, thecontroller 18 may display a puff number. As another example, thecontroller 18 may, in response to detecting puffs, display an indicatorindicating that puffs are being performed.

In step S140, the controller 18 may detect the end of smoking. In thisstep, the controller 18 may display an indicator indicating the end ofsmoking through the display 19. For additional description of this step,refer to step S40 described above with reference to FIG. 8 .

Meanwhile, the controller 18 may perform the automatic extinguishingfunction upon detecting the end of smoking, may display an indicatorindicating automatic extinguishing through the display 19, and may alsodisplay an indicator indicating completion of automatic extinguishingupon completion of automatic extinguishing.

The control method according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure has been described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 .According to the above-described method, smoking progress informationmay be displayed through the display 19. Accordingly, the user can checksmoking progress in real time through the display 19, and thus usabilityof the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may be significantly improved.

The technical spirit of the present disclosure described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 10 may at least partially be implemented withcomputer-readable code on computer-readable recording media. Examples ofthe computer-readable recording media may include removable recordingmedia (a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-Raydisk, a universal serial bus (USB) storage device, a removable harddisk) or non-removable recording media (a read-only memory (ROM), arandom access memory (RAM), a built-in hard disk). Computer programsrecorded in the computer-readable recording media may be sent to othercomputing devices through a network, such as the Internet, and installedin the other computing devices so as to be used in the other computingdevices.

All the components constituting the embodiments of the presentdisclosure have been described above as being combined into one body orbeing operated in combination, but the technical spirit of the presentdisclosure is not necessarily limited to the embodiments. That is, anyone or more of the components may be selectively operated in combinationwithin the intended scope of the present disclosure.

Operations are illustrated in a specific order in the drawings, but itshould not be understood that the operations must be performed in aspecific order or sequential order shown, or that all illustratedoperations must be performed to obtain a desired result. In certaincircumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.Moreover, the separation of various components in the embodimentsdescribed above should not be understood as necessarily requiring suchseparation, and it should be understood that the program components andsystems described may generally be integrated together into a singlesoftware product or packaged into multiple software products.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above withreference to the accompanying drawings, but those of ordinary skill inthe art to which the present disclosure pertains should understand thatthe present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutchanging the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore,the embodiments described above should be understood as beingillustrative, instead of limiting, in all aspects. The scope of thepresent disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and anytechnical spirit within the scope equivalent to the claims should beinterpreted as falling within the scope of the technical spirit definedby the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sidestream smoke removal device comprising: ahousing in which a smoking space is formed; an article insertion portiondisposed at one end of the housing and forming an opening for insertionof a smoking article into the smoking space; an elastic support portiondisposed to elastically support an upstream end of the smoking articleas the smoking article is inserted through the article insertionportion; an ignition portion configured to ignite the smoking articleinserted into the smoking space; and a sidestream smoke processingportion configured to process sidestream smoke generated from thesmoking article inserted into the smoking space.
 2. The sidestream smokeremoval device of claim 1, wherein the elastic support portion isdisposed to be contracted in a direction in which the smoking article isinserted.
 3. The sidestream smoke removal device of claim 1, wherein theignition portion is coupled to the elastic support portion and disposedto come in close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article asthe smoking article is inserted.
 4. The sidestream smoke removal deviceof claim 3, wherein a portion of the ignition portion that comes inclose contact with the upstream end is formed in a protruding shape topass through the upstream end.
 5. The sidestream smoke removal device ofclaim 1, further comprising a support portion which is disposed tosupport a side surface of the inserted smoking article in the smokingspace.
 6. The sidestream smoke removal device of claim 1, wherein thesidestream smoke processing portion includes a filter structureconfigured to filter the sidestream smoke and an exhaust fan configuredto exhaust the filtered sidestream smoke.
 7. The sidestream smokeremoval device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a ventconfigured to introduce outside air.
 8. The sidestream smoke removaldevice of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor disposed tomeasure a temperature near a downstream end of a smoking materialportion constituting the inserted smoking article; and a controllerconfigured to detect an end of smoking based on the temperature measuredby the temperature sensor.
 9. The sidestream smoke removal device ofclaim 1, wherein: the housing includes a vent configured to introduceoutside air; the sidestream smoke processing portion includes an exhaustfan configured to exhaust the sidestream smoke; and the sidestream smokeremoval device further comprises a controller configured to, in responseto detecting an end of smoking, close the vent and stop operation of theexhaust fan.